Ch.110Special Side Story – To Another Continent (3)
by fnovelpia
It was the scream of a girl who seemed to have just passed adolescence.
Hooves clashed violently on the trail. More than a dozen riders pursuing the girl created a rumbling on the ground.
The distance between us and them was steadily narrowing.
A girl fleeing with tears streaming down her face, chased by multiple armed forces.
Irefi didn’t need much time to assess the situation.
“Sigh, let’s help her.”
“Hmm, anything for my beloved wife!”
“Yes, Nepy is so… at times like this!”
‘After refusing to go to the inn…’ Irefi’s grumbling was cute. But since she was as scary as she was cute, I decided to pretend I hadn’t heard.
I had always hidden from Irefi that my hearing was extraordinarily good. She probably doesn’t know how many crises I’ve avoided because of it.
‘If I want to spare them somewhat, I can’t directly attack with Malice…’
Using the Ever-Changing Forms sorcery, I compressed dirt into a large sword.
With its round, wide, shield-like blade, it was the Conqueror’s Sword—Bartlant’s primary weapon.
Netionpis, who directly learned martial arts from the first Bartlant, naturally adopted the Conqueror’s Sword as his main weapon. And as I inherited his past life completely, it became my primary weapon as well.
No grand resolve is needed to confront such low-level brutality against a woman.
Compared to the memories of my possessed body that ended an era of war, these were just the pranks of overgrown children.
I raised the heavy Conqueror’s Sword upward.
The ridiculous-looking weapon drew attention, eliciting various reactions. However, the girl was in such a hurry that she rushed past my side.
With this, I no longer had to worry about the girl getting caught in the crossfire.
“Holding a sword after so long brings back memories.”
“What time are you referring to?”
“Fernbrake.”
“Eek…! Nepy!!!”
“Here I go!”
While Irefi blushed with embarrassment, I gathered my strength.
The majesty of the Conqueror’s Sword piercing the sky. The massive weapon struck the ground, creating an intense shockwave.
The monstrous strength I gained through repeated biological modifications pulled at the earth. The aftermath of swinging the Conqueror’s Sword churned the ground, altering the terrain.
Soil and gravel rose like a towering wave, mercilessly engulfing the armed men.
In reality, I had deliberately controlled the power, making it an impressive but ultimately harmless attack. Nevertheless, it was just enough to startle the horses and men, causing minor injuries.
Neeeigh!
Thud, thump!
As the horses reared up, several men fell off. From an ordinary human perspective, the impact of falling from a horse was not something to be dismissed. They each screamed out in pain.
“Kack! Urgh…”
“What the… crazy.”
“Damn it, what just happened?”
While they were cursing, the horses had already found freedom and fled.
I activated the Ever-Changing Forms sorcery once more—my reliable all-purpose skill—to transform the ground.
The Malice that had soaked deep into the earth began to move.
Soon, the ground around the men rose up, forming a tomb-like prison. As a precaution against suffocation, I made sure to include breathing holes in the ceiling.
It would easily contain them until we could report to the local authorities.
“Well done. If only I could use my powers against humans, I would have stepped in.”
“It’s nothing. Just my duty as a husband.”
“Yes… duty as a husband, you say.”
“Mm-hmm.”
This time she muttered, “You’re good at avoiding other duties…” which sent a chill up my spine.
‘Irefi… what we call that duty is obligatory defense…’
It’s not like I don’t want to do this and that with Irefi.
But once Irefi loses her restraint, she goes far beyond any reasonable limit.
Being immortal, my manhood can stand indefinitely, but my mind feels like it’s about to break from pleasure.
Even good things get tiresome after a while, but when one night becomes two and then three, things change dramatically.
Even with her strength controlled by the slave collar, she was still a world-class powerhouse.
Her limitless stamina doesn’t even allow for rest periods. This is no exaggeration—even when I rested, she would still be bouncing on top of me.
I thought “riding to exhaustion” was just a crude joke, but I never imagined I’d experience it firsthand.
Sometimes romance fantasy protagonists are described as spending a week in the bedroom, but at that point, the genre should be changed from romance fantasy to animal kingdom documentary.
‘I wonder how the old man managed with women he didn’t even love during his male courtesan days.’
For him, it was probably unavoidable since he had no choice… but when I find myself fearing my beloved Irefi, I can’t help but think about how painful sex without love must be.
While I was making excuses in my mind, Irefi’s eyes focused on the girl slowly approaching us.
“Um… thank you.”
The girl dismounted and expressed her gratitude.
I couldn’t take her thanks at face value. Her appearance raised some red flags.
At first glance, her clothing seemed casual, but the fabric was soft, suggesting expensive materials.
Her skin had a prominent glow, as if regularly maintained, and her hands were smooth like someone who had never done hard labor.
Above all, the natural way she mounted and dismounted the horse suggested considerable riding skill.
‘This is definitely a nobleman’s daughter or from a wealthy family.’
If she were just from a wealthy family, it wouldn’t be much of a problem, but if she were nobility, sending her back might not be so simple.
The men chasing her seemed to be quite desperate.
“So?”
Just then, an ice-cold voice brought the atmosphere down.
Irefi’s eyes were like a frozen lake, emanating coldness.
The girl took a step back and stiffened at Irefi’s overwhelming presence.
“Though you don’t look it, you’re a young lady past the age of majority, aren’t you?”
“Y-yes… that’s right.”
It was like a mouse before a cat… no, a mouse placed in a tiger’s food bowl.
Her shrunken appearance was pitiful enough to make me uncomfortable.
‘Irefi must have her reasons for taking this tone, but…’
Her strict attitude felt unfamiliar after so long. Was there something about this girl she disliked enough to frown at first sight?
“I’m guessing you’re of noble birth. Surely not someone who couldn’t afford even a single escort. And those rabble claiming to be guards wouldn’t stand a chance against proper escorts.”
“Urk, yes…”
“Is your standing in your family so poor that you couldn’t have even one escort?”
“No…”
“That’s fortunate. If that were the case, I was planning to visit your family personally to criticize their negligence.”
“W-wouldn’t that be difficult for you…?”
“Hardly. Whatever direction you imagine, I can assure you it’s all possible.”
“Ah…”
One of the girl’s eyes twitched. She probably assumed Irefi was making empty threats without knowing her place.
If I were in her position, I would think the same. After all, how could she guess that the woman before her was capable of holding an entire continent accountable?
“It’s fortunate this isn’t a matter requiring criticism of your entire family… However, I regrettably must reproach your conduct.”
“M-me…?”
“Yes. If your statement is correct, you’re not particularly mistreated, yet you chose to wander outside without even a single escort and ended up being chased like this. Please correct me if I’m wrong.”
“Th-there’s nothing to correct…!”
“So despite being of age and old enough to think rationally, you forgot your position and acted carelessly. Have you considered what might happen if you were injured due to your willful behavior?”
“What kind of consideration do you mean…?”
“I’m talking about the aftermath.”
The girl pulled at the corners of her mouth, her strength seeming to drain away.
It fit the definition of a smile but was certainly not one born of pleasant emotions.
This was a crisis-avoidance smile that appears when one is embarrassed and at a loss.
Irefi, displeased with this, pressed on with an even more rigid tone.
“First, the servants who failed to stop you from going out alone, or who remained silent because their position made it difficult to advise you, would be severely punished. Next, the guards or knights responsible for your protection would suffer harsh consequences. If you were kidnapped or went missing, a substantial amount of money would flow out of your family. All these potential outcomes stem from your pursuit of misguided rights while ignoring your duties. In conclusion, you’ve merely enjoyed the privileges you’ve received for childish reasons.”
“Ah, ugh… uuugh…”
“Noble birth isn’t simply a position to enjoy being revered. It’s closer to a position where you fulfill duties equal to the burden borne by those who support you. Did you want freedom? Unfortunately, there are countless people who would sell their souls to secure your position of constraint. Are you prepared to sell your duties in exchange for rights?”
“No…”
“I see.”
Only then did I understand why Irefi was scolding a girl she had never met before.
‘She’s reminded of the Empress.’
Irefi had disliked the Empress of the Eld Empire for a long time.
Apart from future memories, she had criticized the Empress’s reckless past.
The Empress had neglected her enormous duties, using the Emperor’s affection as a foothold for love games.
As a result, many people were hurt, and those around her were forced to make one-sided sacrifices.
The crystallization of the Empress’s mistakes was the Lost Blood.
Charle, who was born only to bear the burden of misfortune.
For someone like Irefi, who values the duties that nobles must shoulder, the girl’s actions were bound to strike a nerve.
“Phew! Irefi, that’s enough.”
“I suppose so. I got carried away unintentionally. Sorry for using you like a borrowed bag, Nepy.”
“It’s fine. Don’t I know you well enough?”
“…”
Irefi pressed her lips tightly together. While it seemed like a cryptic action on the surface, I noticed the red flush rising to her cheekbones.
She must have realized that I had understood her intentions.
“Young lady.”
“Yes!!!”
“Haven’t you become too disciplined in such a short time…?”
The girl responded to Irefi’s call with a rigid attention stance. Anyone watching would think she was the newest recruit in knight training.
This is quite terrifying.
‘You’re scary, Irefi! Even outside the bedroom at night, you’re scary! And that’s why I love you!’
I should probably tone down my inner monologue.
Irefi cleared her throat to change the atmosphere. It was a signal that the small talk was over and it was time to get to the main point.
“As your elder, I feel obligated to ensure you return home safely. I won’t accept any refusal. You agree, of course?”
“Ah… ugh…”
And so, a one-sided contract was established between us and the girl we had just met.
“Yes…”
Irefi truly had deep maternal instincts.
I love that about her.
Anyway, that’s definitely true.
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